Legislation Curbing Exports of Non-Working, Untested E-Scrap
The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling is calling on Congress to pass legislation curbing exports of non-working, untested e-scrap. The group notes the material has been shown to feed electronics counterfeiting abroad, a practice that could threaten the reliability of many advanced weapons systems in the U.S. as well as critical civilian infrastructure.
More than 3.3 million pounds of e-scrap were collected in Washington state in January, roughly the same weight collected in January 2014, according to E-Cycle Washington. Since the recycling program began in 2009, an average of 3.25 million pounds have been collected in the month of January, when many consumers tend to dispose of old electronics in favor of ones they got during the holidays.
In other news from the Evergreen State, officials there are considering expanding the state e-scrap recycling program to include computer peripherals such as printers, keyboards and mice, according to the Northwest Product Stewardship Council. The Washington Department of Ecology will conduct a stakeholder process this year to gather input on expanding the program, with the goal of submitting a draft bill for consideration by the legislature in 2016.
The Buffalo News recently examined how a New York law that took effect this year banning e-scrap from the trash can has affected recycling options. Costs to recycle CRTs are being passed down to collectors, including Goodwill, which decided to stop accepting old TV sets and computer monitors. But the Salvation Army says it is still accepting them because they’re still selling in its thrift stores, and Salvation Army also says a partnership with Electronic Recyclers International allows the nonprofit group to cost-effectively recycle the old sets that don’t sell.
*For more information go to http://resource-recycling.com